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Ash clears, London airports reopen

Britain's two major international airports reopened to some flights today after a no-fly zone was imposed because of a dense cloud of drifting volcanic ash from Iceland. And Europe's air traffic management agency says it appears the cloud is beginning to disperse.

Britain's National Air Traffic Service says London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports are operating with restrictions. But Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, another of Europe's biggest air travel hubs, was to remain closed until later this morning.

The London airports were open, but their proximity to the no-fly zone meant severe restrictions on their capacity. Airports in Northern Ireland, much of Scotland and parts of Wales were also under the no-fly order as winds pushed the ash plume into Europe's busy airspace.